Kathmandu
Sunday, July 26, 2026
BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Gujarat Titans (GT) by five wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match on Friday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
In a high-scoring thriller, Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal helped the Rajat Patidar-led team pull off a spectacular win by successfully chasing a daunting target of 206 with seven balls to spare.
Chasing 206, RCB received an early jitter as GT pacer Mohammed Siraj got rid of RCB opener Jacob Bethell early, reducing RCB to 26/1 in 3 overs.
However, the rest of RCB’s top order rose to the occasion. Virat Kohli, scoring a 44-ball 81, set the tone with a classic half-century, while Devdutt Padikkal (55 off 27 balls) provided excellent support.
The duo kept the scoreboard ticking, ensuring the required rate never spiralled out of control. Together, they combined for a 115-run stand in just 59 balls.
After losing Kohli and Padikkal in quick succession, the game tightened in the middle overs when Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar picked up key wickets, leaving RCB at 175/5 after 16 overs. RCB stumbled in their chase as they lost Rajat Patidar (8) and Jitesh Sharma (10).
With 31 runs needed off the final four overs, the pressure was on, but Krunal Pandya (unbeaten 23 runs off 12 balls) emerged as the hero for the home side. Krunal took the attack to the GT bowlers. He took 15 runs off the 18th over, effectively breaking the back of the chase while Tim David contributed with an unbeaten nine-ball 10-run knock.
In the 19th over, Krunal finished things, pulling a short ball from Jason Holder to the deep square leg region for a single to seal the win as RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs, securing two vital points and moving up to the second spot in the IPL 2026 points table. RCB now have 10 points in seven matches with five wins and two losses.
With 31 runs needed off the final four overs, the pressure was on, but Krunal Pandya (unbeaten 23 runs off 12 balls) emerged as the hero for the home side. Krunal took the attack to the GT bowlers. He took 15 runs off the 18th over, effectively breaking the back of the chase while Tim David contributed with an unbeaten nine-ball 10-run knock.
In the 19th over, Krunal finished things, pulling a short ball from Jason Holder to the deep square leg region for a single to seal the win as RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs, securing two vital points and moving up to the second spot in the IPL 2026 points table. RCB now have 10 points in seven matches with five wins and two losses.
